Dark Days
by Tardis-Version 3
Summary: Things have changed since Ash was exiled to Mt. Silver. The world is being influenced by the 'Prophets', and no-body can or will stop them. That is, until now. Beliefs will be forged, friendships lost and many, many battles fought.
1. Prophecy

**Hello Every-one. Welcome to my newest fan fiction, I hope you like it by the end. Any-way, this is a fan fiction to keep my mind fresh and occupied while I write my main story, which is Bonds of Time. It was originally meant to be about Supernatural, but due to a lot of peer pressure and friends saying that I cannot write about a topic I don't know about, I was forced into Pokemon. Now, I am glad I was cause' I am loving it, especially the games which I find time consuming and fun. Any-way, I did a lot of research for this fan fiction so I hope my efforts haven't gone to waste. Enjoy! Oh yeah: Ash is 18 in this story.**

The sun slowly rose over the mountainside, illuminating the scenery and making it glow a vibrant orange. The ice seemed to shimmer in the sunlight, and it reflected to become the same orange colour. Beautiful songs could be heard as the bird Pokémon awoke from their evening slumber to spread their wings and soar. In the bushes of the snow-capped mountain, a small yellow figure appeared. It stood on the edge of a slight slope, it's ears twitching as it listened intently. Pikachu stood on the slope, as if observing the magnificent sunrise.

Suddenly, a raging torrent of water came hurtling towards Pikachu at startling speed. Pikachu, who had sensed the attack only moments before, jumped to the left just in time to dodge the attack. A mighty roar echoed as Feraligatr seemingly appeared from no-where, and rushed at Pikachu. The day's light made the normally blue Feraligatr turn a shimmering red. Pikachu, waiting till the right moment, jumped into the air and smashed Feraligatr on the head with Iron Tail. To any other Pokémon, that would have been K.O, but Feraligatr had been especially trained. Grunting in pain, Feraligatr turned blindly and slammed his own Iron Tail into Pikachu on his descent. Pikachu was flung almost 10 metres by the lumbering Pokémon, but merely shook the hit off. His cheeks began to spark and he was engulfed in a dazzling yellow energy. Pikachu grunted as he sent a massive Thunderbolt towards Feraligatr. Feraligatr arched back, and let loose a massive Hydro Pump attack. The two attacks collided, Pikachu and Feraligatr seeming to have unlimited amounts of energy. A white light spread throughout the whole area, moments later the massive explosion could be heard. The trees and bushes swayed violently, as the smoke finally died away. Both Pikachu and Feraligatr stood confidently, their faces a vision of determination.

The Feraligatr broke out into a grin, and walked over to Pikachu. Pikachu, in return, hopped onto Feraligatr's shoulder. They both turned to their trainer, who had watched the whole battle in the shadows. He emerged, a hooded figure in a black cloak. Emotion couldn't be seen on his face. He threw his cloak back to reveal a young face and he broke out into a smile. He had raven hair, which was in a slight fringe that covered his left eye. He also had a slight rat-tail, which he didn't plan on cutting. He was tan and his oak brown eyes gazed upon his Pokémon. Ash Ketchum reached out and ruffled Pikachu's fur, and patted Feraligatr on the back. Both Feraligatr and Pikachu relaxed at Ash's touch. Pikachu let out a happy 'Cha' and Feraligatr grunted in pleasure.

"Good job you two. Keep this up and you'll be able to give Mew-Two a run for his money."

"I highly doubt that." A smooth baritone voice said from behind him and Ash chuckled as he turned to see Mew-Two. "Ash, I have some important news to tell you but you will have to wait. I have urgent business to attend to." With that, Mew-Two disappeared and Ash shook his head in amusement.

"Come on you two. It's time we went home." He said, and motioned for Feraligatr and Pikachu to follow him. Pikachu jumped down from Feraligatr instantly and hopped onto his master's shoulder, nuzzling his neck in affection. Feraligatr just yawned and followed Ash. As Ash walked, he remembered how he had come to live here, as he always did in the mornings. 5 years ago, after Ash had narrowly lost the Lily of the Valley Conference. He had returned home with Brock, only to be greeted by Misty, May, and much to his surprise Dawn who had decided to drop by for a visit. He smiled at the memory. It was the last happy day he had had before everything went wrong. The next morning a group of prophets came and said that Ash had to die to the so-called 'Apocalypse' would not happen. Apparently, his Aura would be corrupted and he would destroy the world. At first, they all laughed at what the prophets were saying, laughing at their idea which was barely a whisper. But that whisper soon became a roar. One by one: Brock, Misty, Dawn, Max, they all started to believe the prophets. The only people who stood by Ash's side was May, his mom, Professor Oak and surprisingly Gary. That was, until they killed him mom. Ash sighed at the memory, and stroked Pikachu's back. His so-called 'friends' had threatened Ash and killed him mom. Worst of all, every-one blamed it on him. Finally, Ash decided that he would leave. He scaled Mount Silver, leaving every-one for the better. He didn't miss his old life. He just missed the people. They all probably thought he was dead. He was the first person in history to scale Mt Silver due to the ridiculously strong Pokémon. Many had tried: all except him had failed. The thundering waterfall destroyed his thoughts. They had arrived home. Instantly, a Lucario came bursting out of the fall. He bowed when he came to his master's feet, to which Ash just sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Lucario, how many times have I told you, you do not have to bow to me." Lucario, who stood up, gracefully motioned for his master to pass.

"**I live to serve you master." **Lucario said telepathically, and Ash put his hand on Lucario's shoulder.

"I know you do old friend." Ash replied, before entering the waterfall himself. The cascade of water drenched him and his cloak, but it would dry quickly. Instantly, Meganium charged at him in affection. Feeling the air rush out of his lungs, he laughed as Meganium sheepishly retreated back to where she had been sitting. Charizard blew smoke in Meganium's face, to which Meganium angrily whirled around and bit Charizard on the arm. Charizard grunted in pain and shook Meganium off. Ash grinned at the display, taking his cloak and shirt off. His muscles were well built due to the vigorous and harsh life-style, yet some-how they weren't bulging everywhere. His body was just as tan as his face, thanks to the waterfall. He heard a roar and instantly knew that Lucario was challenging Garchomp yet again. Ash sighed. He usually kept his Pokémon out of their Pokéballs during the day so they could roam freely. Unfortunately, this meant that they would get into arguments and when two powerhouses met, the whole mountain would shake.

"Garchomp, please don't use Draco Meteor again. I don't want out home being destroyed like last time." Ash said calmly, and Garchomp nodded in reply. He gazed at the battle momentarily, just in time to see Lucario attack with Aura Sphere before he sensed Mew-Two. Mew-Two had personally come to Ash after he had exiled himself to the mountain, and the two had become good friends. Turning around, Mew-Two smiled slightly.

"You always did know when I was coming." He said slowly, and Ash simply nodded his reply. He didn't like foreplay. Though his patience had grown since he was the 10-year-old child, he still had a distaste of idle talk before the main point. You don't stab and Ursaring in the foot and wait for it to recover before you kill it."

"Get to the point." He said coldly, and Mew-Two nodded.

"First of all, Ash Ketchum, I am going to be asking you to do things you may not be comfortable with. Is this a problem?" Ash didn't say any-thing as he pondered what Mew-Two was going to ask him. Curiosity getting the better of him, he shook his head, a signal for Mew-Two to get to the point yet again. Mew-Two chuckled briefly.

"The prophets are corrupting the regions." Mew-Two stated simply, and Ash went cold.

"What do I care?" Ash asked, feeling fed up with the conversation. He was extremely irritated that Mew-Two had brought up such a delicate topic. "That's not my fault."

"Though I realize this, some-one must take it into their hands top sever their influence. And what better than the two most power-full trainer that ever lived." Ash looked at Mew-Two directly in the eye, and Mew-Two glared calmly back. Out of every Pokémon he met, Charizard, Pikachu and Mew-Two were the only Pokémon that could meet his furious gaze. It then occurred to Ash that Mew-Two had mispronounced his sentence earlier.

"You mean the most powerful trainer that ever lived." Ash said, seemingly correcting Mew-Two's mistake. It was ironic because he hadn't now Mew-Two to ever make a mistake, especially not when it came to speaking the English language. To his surprise, Mew-Two shook his head.

"I mean the two most power-full trainers. There is another Ash that rivals you in every aspect imaginable. His Pokémon, whistle immensely powerful, trust and love him. He too, was said to be the cause' of the apocalypse and became a target of the prophets due to his success in the regions of Almia, Fiorre and Unova. He too, lost some one he cared about greatly…and he too, exiled himself. However, he trains on Mount Coronet in the Sinnoh region. For years, me and Darkrai had been shaping you two so you can defeat the prophets and save the world as we know it." Mew-Two replied simply. Ash felt anger boil inside him.

"You've been shaping me? You mean all this time you interacted with me to get me too fulfill a purpose!" Ash yelled, and Mew-Two sighed. He knew that he would see it the wrong way.

"That is not true. It is merely a goal that I have been striving to reach. Ash… you two must return to the world. In Sinnoh, the Lily of the Valley conference begins in a week. The top two trainers will get a chance to face off against the Elite 4, and I need you two to do that. With both of you having a way to defeat the Elite 4; I'm sure it will be nothing but Pest Control. Once one of you defeats the champion, you have to give an order. For all the gyms, for all the trainer and for all the Pokémon to not listen to the Prophets and put them aside. The prophets' wouldn't dare mess with the legislation of the Elite 4. Isn't this what you wanted Ash, revenge?" Ash glared at Mew-Two who glared right back. It seemed to be a battle of wills, but Ash knew that sooner or later he would succumb. No-body, not even himself, could go up against Mew-Two will willpower and win. Mew-Two, seeing the hesitation in Ash's eyes, knew that he had the upper hand.

"What is his name?" Ash asked slowly, finally giving in. It would be interesting to go back to civilization after all this time. Of course, he didn't want people to recognize him so he would go under an agenda, but he would still be curious to whether they would recognize him.

"His name is Emerald Winterflame. Darkrai had already explained the proposal to him and he has accepted, though like you, he isn't too thrilled about the prospect. He shall come shortly, and you two will test each other in a 3 on 3 battle. I will coach you through it: don't worry. This might be the first challenge you've had in a while." Mew-Two said chuckling, and Ash smiled slightly. He wondered what this Samuel Winterflame would be like.

A dark glow filled the area, as all the warmth seemed to shrivel and die. Darkrai appeared, his hands out stretched. Next to him was a man, about Ash's age, which was 18. He wore a plain white shirt sleeveless shirt, and fading blue jeans. His oak brown hair was plain and simple, stretching down bellow his forehead and cutting off into spiked segments, not a lot unlike a crown. His eyes gave him distinction, which were a piercing Emerald green. He wasn't overly tanned, yet he too was well muscled. He didn't look like anything special. Emerald saw likewise, looking at Ash Ketchum and not thinking much.

"Greeting Mew-Two." Darkrai's deep voice boomed, and Mew-Two greeted him with a nod. Emerald and Ash stared each other down, examining each other.

"I say the battle starts now." Emerald said. His voice was smooth and silky, yet it was obvious that he had been through hell itself. Ash nodded in agreement.

"I shall referee." Darkrai said, but Ash shook his head.

"No need. We both know the rules. 3 on 3 battle, no substitutions and likewise." Ash said, still not breaking eye contact with Emerald. Emerald nodded, and broke eye contact by reaching for his pokéball.

"Gallade, I require you." He said, throwing the ball unendingly high. A white light poured from the ball to reveal a Gallade. It stood strong in it's battle pose, waiting for instructions like an obedient soldier. Ash smirked. If it wanted a fighting battle, then he would get one.

"Lucario, the battle begins." Ash said. He waited a moment, scanning the area for any signs. Lucario burst out of the bushes, somersaulting and stopping perfectly in front of Ash.

"**I await your instruction Master."** Lucario said to Ash telepathically, to which Ash rolled his eyes.

"Show-off." Emerald muttered, which gathered a slight laugh from both Darkrai and Mew-Two.

"BEGIN!" Darkrai boomed, and instantly Gallade sprung forward.

"Gallade, Leaf Blade." Emerald commanded, and Gallade's arm began to grow a vibrant green as it swung it's arm in pin-point precision. Ash was impressed with the Gallade's speed, but he didn't let that deter him. He and Lucario knew how to deal with fighting moves, and he knew that Lucario wouldn't have to be given instructions. The Lucario weaved it's way through the attacks, dodging them yet being forced back. "Continue the onslaught." Emerald commanded, and Gallade obeyed. Ash realized he would have to counter the attack soon. Gallade was trained to keep swing it's swords without tiring. Lucario, whistle full of stamina, would run out if the battle kept going like this. He marveled at the well-trained Pokémon, and realized that this trainer might just be as good as he was.

" Lucario, side-step then Bone Rush." Ash ordered, and Lucario did exactly that. When Gallade swung it's blade, Lucario dodged to it's left, then attack viciously with Bone Rush. It was now Gallade's turn to lose ground as it tried dodging the attacks. Gallade may be brilliant at offense, Ash thought to himself, but it's a stocky Pokémon and doesn't have much flexibility. A surprise attack from behind or from the side would leave it in able to defend itself. It had to be facing the opponent front on to do that, but Lucario wasn't giving it the chance.

"Teleport, then Close Combat." Emerald said calmly, and Lucario was left hitting the air as Gallade teleported behind it. Ash knew that it was looking bad. He didn't know that Gallade could use Teleport, and Emerald was most likely waiting for an opportunity were Lucario was on an advance. Crafty bastard, Ash thought. Emerald smiled as his plan worked. Only good trainer could work out that Gallade didn't have good flexibility, and only good trainer knew that Gallade couldn't dodge attacks from behind. He was impressed with Ash's skill and speed. However, his secret counter to this was to use the same maneuver against the attacking Pokémon. He knew for a fact that Lucario was weak to fighting moves due to his steel type characteristics, so this battle was a good as over. Lucario couldn't even turn before a barrage of blades and punches hit him. He weakly dropped to one knee, as Gallade stood before him.

"Lucario, Aura Sphere." Ash called out. A blue ball of energy began growing in Lucario's palm. How-ever, Ash could plainly see that it was only at half it's power, maybe even less. That Close Combat had taken a toll on Lucario. Lucario flexed his palm and the blue ball of energy went hurtling towards Gallade. It hit Gallade in the chest, making the Pokémon grunt but Gallade still stood strong.

"Gallade, finish this with Guillotine." Emerald called out, as Gallade crossed it's blades together. They began to grown a pulsating red colour, and Gallade released it. The red energy, similar to X Scissor, hit Lucario point blank in the chest. Lucario collapsed, unable for battle. Ash took out Lucario's pokéball and returned him.

"Have a good rest Lucario." Ash said to the pokéball, before returning it to his belt. A slight grin was starting to form on Ash's face as he realized that for the first time in what seemed like a millennia he was being challenged and pushed to his limits. He took a Pokéball from his belt, and threw it up. A dazzling white light shined and began to form a shape.

"Altaria." The Humming Pokémon cooed as it landed on the ground. Emerald noted that instead of being blue, Altaria was a gold colour. It spread it's wings wide, envisioning a beautiful Pokémon. Ash smirked. Now he had the type advantage.

"Altaria, Ariel Ace." Ash called out, and Altaria swooped in at tremendous speed. Just before it was about to hit Gallade, it disappeared.

"Teleport." Emerald said. However, Ash was predicting that move.

"Perish Song." Ash commanded. Altaria reappeared and began humming. However, the notes went harsh. Gallade covered it's ears in shock, as it writhed in pain on the ground. "Stop." Ash told Altaria, and Altaria closed it's beak. Gallade didn't notice, still writhing on the floor.

"Altaria, Sky attack." Ash commanded. Altaria spread it's wings, which began to glow a vibrant yellow. The vibrant yellow turned harsh and enveloped Altaria completely. Altaria hummed, as it charged towards the immobilized Gallade. Gallade had no idea what was coming till it was hit. The sound of a massive explosion reverberated through the mountains and smoke filled the area. When the smoke disappeared, Gallade could be seen lying in a massive impact crater, with Altaria calmly nesting in front of Ash. Emerald sighed as he returned Gallade back to his pokéball. Ash congratulated Altaria for her efforts, and Altaria cooed happily.

Mew-Two was watching the scene unfold with eagerness, though is face showed no emotion. The two were the most powerful trainers of this generation, with all their Pokémon tuned to perfection. Some might even refer to them as God-Trainers. Darkrai was thinking along the same lines. If these two can't bring down the prophets, he thought, no one can.

" Reuniclus, show them what you've got." Emerald said, throwing the pokéball. The white light erupted to form a jelly like Pokémon. Ash had never seen a Pokémon like this before, nor had he heard about it. Emerald, seeing the confusion on Ash's face, threw him an old Pokedex. Ash opened it, and scanned Reuniclus.

"Reuniclus." The Pokedex chimed. " The multiplying Pokémon and the evolved form of Duosion. These remarkably intelligent Pokémon fight by controlling arms that can that can grip with rock crushing power." Ash, taking in the new Pokémon, threw the Pokedex back to Emerald who caught it with ease.

"Altaria, Drill Peck!" Ash called out. Altaria took to the air, and came hurtling at Reuniclus like a bullet.

"Stop it!" Emerald called out, and Reuniclus braced itself. Controlling it's left arm, it grabbed onto Altaria's beak and stopped it dead in it's tracks. Ash gazed in surprise. Altaria should have been going too fast to be stopped. "Now, Dizzy Punch." Reuniclus swung its right arm and hit Altaria, which sent her flying. However, she gained composure in the air. Damn, Emerald thought to himself. He was really hoping that Dizzy Punch would've confused Altaria.

"Altaria, Dragon Breath." Ash commanded. If that Reuniclus was strong and flexible enough to stop Altaria's flight with one-hand, he wasn't going to risk using physical moves without precaution and utter confidence. Altaria opened it's beak, and a powerful purple energy came streaming out.

"Reuniclus, protect." Emerald called out, and a shimmering yellow energy surrounded Reuniclus. The Dragon-Breath bounced harmlessly off, though it did manage to force Reuniclus back slightly. Damn, Ash thought. He would have to risk losing Altaria if he wanted to beat this defensive Pokémon. "Follow up with Energy Ball." Out of Reuniclus'es left arm, a green ball that seeming to be shifting in size formed. It grew, and Reuniclus let out a growl as he sent the projectile towards Altaria.

"Cotton Guard, the Aerial Ace." Ash commanded. Cotton from Altaria's wings came to it's front and Energy Ball dissipated upon impact. Reuniclus, sent another energy ball towards Altaria, but again it bounced harmlessly off the Cotton Guard. Altaria got in close, and then disappeared. Emerald smirked.

"Psychic." Altaria appeared but was instantly frozen in pink energy as Reuniclus sent it hurtling towards the ground. Altaria cried out as it was repeatedly smashed against the rocky terrain. It groaned, completely dazed.

"Finish this with Thunder!" Emerald called out. Altaria, still trying to recover from being almost taken out, couldn't move as the skies turned grey. A gigantic bolt of lightning hurtled down upon Altaria, who cried out in pain and collapsed. The sky returned back to normal, nothing left to suggest that they were even there apart from a massive scorch mark surrounding Altaria. Ash returned Altaria, thanking it for doing a good job. He looked at Emerald, and saw the will and power of a strong battler. It was an understatement to say that this was a brilliant trainer, but the battle wasn't won yet.

" Defeat is near. Garchomp, we shall be victorious." Ash called out. A roar could be heard echoing as a dark blue blur zoomed into their vision. It landed in front of Ash, the Dual Dragon/Ground type standing proudly in front of his trainer. Emerald looked grimly at the massive beast. This should be interesting, he thought.

"Reuniclus, Ice Beam!" Emerald called out. The Multiplying Pokémon brought it's arms together, and shot out a line of sub-zero power.

"Garchomp, dodge them Dual Chop." Ash said blatantly. Garchomp roared, and dodged at immense speed, closing the gap between the two Pokémon unbelievably fast. It then hammered Reuniclus with it's arms, which were working similar to Gallade's blades. Reuniclus fainted instantly, not able to take multiple hits and Emerald stared in shock. No-body had brought down Reuniclus that easily. Granted, he had been tired from his grueling battle with Altaria but he shouldn't have been taken out that quickly.

Emerald opened the Pokedex to see exactly what he was facing. He had only heard stories about Garchomp, yet he had never actually seen one before.

"Garchomp." The Pokedex chimed. "The Mach Pokemon and the evolved form of Gabite. When it folds up it's body and spreads it's wings, it can fly like a jet plane at the speed of sound." Emerald looked at the Garchomp, wondering what the best strategy to take was. He had quick Pokémon; his Jolteon could probably keep up with Garchomp, but this Garchomp was super strong. He needed something with a type advantage and massive attack.

"Haxorus, the moment of victory had come." Emerald called, and threw the Pokéball up. Ash could only stare as he looked into the eyes of the foreign dragon that looked as if it could fell a mountain in one swoop. It was almost the same size as Garchomp, admittedly a little smaller. It had large black and red scythe like tusks protruding from it's jaw. It looked at Garchomp and roared. That's good, Emerald thought to himself, Haxorus'es Rivalry ability has activated. Emerald tossed the Pokedex to Ash, who instantly scanned it.

"Haxorus." The Pokedex chimed as Ash was reminded how useful these things could really be. He had abandoned his, not having time to retrieve it. He had also thought that he was familiar with every type of Pokémon. Apparently, he was wrong. " The Axe Jaw Pokémon and the evolved form of Fraxure. Haxorus are kind but can be relentless when defending territory or their trainers. Their tusks can sheath through steel as if it was paper." Ash threw the Pokedex back. He glanced to his side to see Mew-Two, who was clearly on edge by Haxorus.

"Be careful Ash." He said. "Whistle your Garchomp can out speed this beast, his attack can rival even that of mine. In fact, it surpasses mine." Mew-Two said, and Ash stared shocked. "You must not let it hit you, or the battle is lost." Ash nodded, and gazed at the beast. Emerald was doing likewise to Garchomp.

"Be careful." Darkrai said to Emerald telepathically. "Your attack may be able to take this monster out in one hit, but it will not let you hit you with it's immense speed. Be wary." Darkrai said, and Emerald took his advice. Both trainer looked at each other and nodded.

"Garchomp, Dragon Rush." Ash commanded. Garchomp set off like a lightning bolt, smashing into Haxorus with immense power. Haxorus lost ground, but didn't even have a scratch.

"Haxorus, Dragon Dance." Emerald commanded and a harsh red and black tornado surrounded Haxorus. It disappeared momentarily, but made Haxorus look stronger.

" Garchomp, multiple Dragon Rush." Ash said, and Garchomp charged yet again. It slammed into Haxorus, and kept the barrage coming, Emerald not countering. When Garchomp was finished with its arsenal of attacks, Haxorus was on his knees. He wouldn't be able to take much more.

"Dragon Dance." Emerald commanded again and the same energy tornado as before enveloped Haxorus. When Haxorus was visible again, it looked a whole lot angrier. Ash wondered what Dragon Dance did. He had never seen that move before, but that was only to be expected by strange new Pokémon.

"Finish this with Dual Chop." Ash called out and Garchomp went in for the kill.

"Dodge it, then Dragon Claw." Emerald called out confidently. Much to Ash's surprise, Garchomp was out sped by Haxorus, who unleashed a vicious dragon claw. Garchomp was thrown back, and collapsed. It got back up slowly, eying the unfamiliar Dragon.

"What did you do?" Ash asked calmly, his face emotionless, looking at Emerald. Emerald had the same blank look on his face.

"Dragon Dance raises the speed and attack of the Pokémon using it. So not only is Haxorus'es already godly attack stronger, but it is able to out-speed your Garchomp." Emerald gazed at Haxorus, who was also on his feet but clearly struggling to do so. Damn, Emerald thought, I let Garchomp pummel Haxorus too much.

"Garchomp!" Ash called out to his Pokémon who got back up onto his feet slowly.

"Haxorus!" Emerald called out similarly to his Pokemon, as she tried to steady herself for the final attack.

"OUTRAGE." The both yelled at the same time. Both weakened, Garchomp and Haxorus both unleashed a red beam of light .The two attacks met, and exploded on contact. Smoke filled the area, nothing being visible for a long time. When the smoke finally cleared, both Haxorus and Garchomp had used up there energy and collapsed on the floor.

"This match had ended in a draw." Darkrai boomed. Ash returned Garchomp to his Pokéball, Emerald doing likewise. Emerald looked at the trainer who had given him a run for his money, and shook his hand. Ash Ketchum had won his respect. As so, Ash looked at Emerald. They were the same age, their battling style was the same, they had been through the same things and they were at the same strength. Whilst he was sure that Emerald was different with his personality, they were almost the same. And that was when Ash realized that he respected this man. He didn't like him, but he respected him.

"So, are you two going to go back to civilization and make a point? You've both grown cold to humanity, and it's time you change for the better." Mew-Two said, looking at Emerald in particular, who just shrugged and glared back at Mew-Two.

"Do we get a choice?" Emerald asked blatantly and coldly, no emotion on his face.

"No, not really." Mew-Two replied just as coldly.

"Then Fine. We leave in the morning, give us a day to prepare." Emerald said as he walked back through the Dark Void with Darkrai that would lead them to Mount Coronet.

This is going to be interesting, Ash thought to himself as he went to gather al his Pokémon.

**Yes, that's it for now. I'm not sure whether I should continue this particular story or just let it collect dust, so… If I get at least 5 reviews I'll continue. That seems fair from my point of view. So review if you like it ^^**

**Yours Sincerely, Tardis Beta 1.8.1**


	2. Heart of the Storm

**I'm back ^^ Well, 10 reviews for the first chapter surpassed my expectations. Maybe I should wait a little longer and see how reviews many I get, but what can I say, I'm impatient. Most of my reviews were positive, which made my day, the constructive criticism was well looked into and the reviews saying that my story was…well, to put it simply 'shit' was also well justified. So I've gathered a mostly positive reaction, I thank every-one for your reviews and wish you continue reviewing.**

Emerald gazed out at the sea, seeing the waves form and crash, leaving nothing but white foam in its wake. He took a deep breath of sea air, savoring the salty taste of the light ocean spray. It had been so long since he had seen and tasted the aroma of the sea, and he didn't plan on wasting the opportunity to reconnect with the sensations and feelings he had missed so very much.

Ash was lying on the deck with his shirt off, absorbing the suns rays. The sound of the boat cutting through the waves was relaxing, and it had been a long time since he had relaxed. Meganium, Venusaur and Sceptile where also on the deck with Ash. Due to their grass type characteristics, they never missed an opportunity to bathe in the sunlight. Pikachu was sitting in the shade with Lucario, both of them content with just lazing around in the shade. Usually, they would be running through a grueling training course to keep them at their physical and mental peak, and they welcomed the long awaited break.

"Why don't you take your Pokémon out?" Ash asked, sitting up and looking questionably at Emerald. He was a queer person, to say the least. They had been forced to travel together to get the Lily of the Valley Island. They had both agreed to go by boat, yet that was all they had agreed on the whole journey. It was almost non stop arguing. Emerald, Ash realized, was almost a reincarnation of Paul. He was cold most of the time, never showing any emotion unless it was towards his Pokémon. This was the only reason that set him apart from Ash's old rival at the moment.

"I am saving them for when I need them." Emerald replied blatantly, not even bothering to look at Ash.

"You could let them relax you know?" Ash suggested. He didn't care about Emerald, but his Pokémon deserved a break once in a while.

"If it makes you so happy, fine." Emerald said angrily. He unclipped 3 pokéballs from his belt and threw them high in the hair. Ash gazed at the three foreign Pokémon that had appeared. Emerald, yet again seeing the wonder on Ash's face, sighed and threw him the old Pokedex. He really needs to brush up on his Pokémon, Emerald though as he went back to gazing at the sea. Ash scanned the first one, which happened to be the smallest of the three.

"Darmanitan." The Pokedex chimed. " The blazing Pokémon and the evolved form of Darumaka. When weakened in battle, it transforms into a stone statue. It sharpens its mind and continues the fight mentally." Ash scanned the middle Pokémon, which in Ashs opinion looked the strongest.

"Krookodile." The Pokedex chimed yet again. "The Intimidation Pokémon and the evolved form of Krokorok. Krookodile never allows its prey to escape. Their jaws are so powerful that they can crush and automobile." Krookodile looked menacingly at Ash. Ash shuddered at the gaze of the intimidation Pokémon. It deserves its name, he thought to himself. Ash scanned the final Pokémon.

"Eelektross." The Pokedex chimed for the third time. " The EleFish Pokemon and the evolved form of Eelektrik. Using its sucker mouth, Eelektross can suck in prey. They will attack their prey on shore and immediately drag it into the ocean."

"They look like strong Pokémon." Some one said from behind him. Emerald turned to see a woman dressed in silver with a black outlining. She looks similar to a remoraid, Emerald thought smirking.

"I have to agree with you there." Emerald said, the smirk vanishing and his voice growing cold and emotionless. The woman gasped at the sudden change, but tried to muffle it so it looked like a yawn. It didn't fool Emerald, though he didn't care at all.

"Do you mind if I battle with you?" She asked hopefully. She knew she had to do some kind of training before the boat arrived or her team would be rusty from the long boat trip. She had saw the man looking out to sea earlier, and dismissed him as a suitable sparring partner. Yet she was lucky enough to see his strong Pokémon and her decision changed instantly.

"I do." Emerald replied simply, and returned to watching the sea. All three of his Pokémon did likewise. It seemed that every-one wanted to 'this' or wanted to do 'that' with him. 6 years on a mountain can really make going through small talk painful, he thought. He hadn't realized he was being rude, and even if he did, he simply wouldn't have cared.

"Too scared to fight me, the mighty Marsha. I don't blame you, I mean, every-one knows me." Marsha said, her shoulders sagging. She had competed in the Silver Conference two years ago, and had made it to the final 8. Due to this reason, no-body wanted to fight her in fear of getting their Pokémon pummeled.

"I have no idea who you are, and I have no intent to find out." Emerald replied to her comments about being great, which greatly surprised Marsha and made her angry.

"LIAR! I can see it in your eyes, the fear, and the angst. You are petrified out of your wits to face me." She said smugly, rage evident in her eyes. Every-one knew who she was, and she was a hot favorite to win the Lily of the Valley competition. At least, that's what her friends had told her. That she was hot favorite… in their eyes…

"Fine, let's get this over with." Emerald said in a lazy drawl. Ash turned his body to watch the battle, knowing full well who was going to win. "Darmanitan, your up." The blazing Pokémon snorted flames in his appreciation. It had been a while since it had been in a proper battle. Marsha smirked. She would have a great advantage.

" Go, Slowbro!" Marsha yelled as she threw her pokéball high in the air. A pink droopy-eyed Pokémon appeared.

"Slow-" Slowbro started but was cut off by a yawn. Marsha giggled at Slowbros cute display, thinking about how it would win a contest easily, whereas Emerald just rolled his eyes.

"ALRIGHT, SLOWBRO, USE SCALD!" Marsha yelled unnecessarily loud. The Slowbro yawned then sent a stream of boiling hot water towards Darmanitan. Without being commanded, Darmanitan moved to the left slightly and the Scald missed. Slowbro seemed to understand the fact that he had missed almost ten seconds later and stopped the boiling hot stream. The trainers in Johto must be bad, Emerald thought to himself, wondering how this woman had made it to the final 8 with a Pokémon like that.

"Darmanitan, end this with Superpower." Emerald commanded lazily, with a wave of his hand. Darmanitan became surrounded by a blue energy, to which it got on its hind legs and rushed at Slowbro. Slowbro didn't even lose his grin until he slammed into one of the Cabins sides. It didn't get back up, and Marsha marveled at the strength of the Darmanitan. It was true that she hadn't used Slowbro during the Silver Conference because he was too weak but even her cute little Slowbro shouldn't have been taken out that easily. Returning her Slowbro, Marsh instantly threw up another pokéball.

"Dusclops!" The Beaker Pokemon cried, and got into its battle stance. Marsha grinned. Fighting types like Darmanitan couldn't hit Dusclops with fighting moves, and Dusclops had such high defense that fire moves shouldn't do much damage. Anyway you look at it, Marsha thought to herself, this is a surefire victory.

"Dusclops, Shadow Punch." Marsha commanded. Dusclops's hands became out-lined in a grey energy.

"Clops!" Dusclops grunted as it punched the air. Two shadowy fists that were outlined in a grey energy went hurtling towards Darmanitan. Darmanitan weaved its way through the fists easily.

"Don't stop Dusclops! Keep firing!" Marsha commanded, and Dusclops did exactly that. Constantly punching the air, multiple ghostly fists came hurtling at Darmanitan. Darmanitan managed to keep avoiding the attacks but the fists kept coming. Darmanitan can keep this up all day, Emerald thought to himself. He wanted to tire the Dusclops out before he attacked so his fire type attack would be enough to destroy Dusclops despite its high defense. Damn, Marsha thought, Dusclops is losing its stamina and that Darmanitan looks like it can go all day. It looks like I have to change my strategy. Looking at her Dusclops, she saw that it was slowing down and that the fists were growing smaller. Dusclops was running out of energy and she needed to do something fast.

"Dusclops, Thunder Punch!" Marsha commanded, thinking of a strategy that might work. If she could manage to slow Darmanitan down, it might not be able to dodge Dusclops's barrage of shadow. If Thunder Punch managed to paralyze Darmanitan, she might have a chance. Dusclops reared back, the grey outline on its fists fading, replaced by yellow sparks of electricity. The sparks then met each other and illuminated Dusclops's fist in a bright yellow electricity. Dusclops ran towards Darmanitan, and swung its fist. Darmanitan weaved through the attack and got behind Dusclops.

"Darmanitan, Flame Wheel!" Emerald commanded, and Darmanitan nodded. He ran at Dusclops then jumped, his burning eyebrows seemingly igniting the air around Darmanitan till he was incased in a ball of fire. The ball, affected by gravity, came hurtling down towards Dusclops.

"Shadow Sneak." Marsha cried out in desperation, but Dusclops couldn't pull off the evasion before the massive ball of fire smashed into Dusclops. Darmanitan was now on top of Dusclops, screeching in dominance. Marsha couldn't see her faithful Pokémon due to the monkey blocking her way, so she hoped that Dusclops wasn't down for the count.

"Dusc-" Marsha heard a weak voice say, and she jumped with joy. She quickly realized that she could use this situation to her advantage.

"Dusclops, Shadow Punch." Marsha commanded. She always knew that Dusclops could take the flame wheel due to his great defense. Dusclops's fists were enveloped in the similar gray aura as it punched. However, this time its actual fist connected with Darmanitan. The shadows then extended to send Darmanitan flying. Emerald looked with slight concern in his eyes for his Darmanitan. Shadow Punch was a strong move at a distance. He tried to imagine how powerful it would be at close range. Darmanitan stood up confidently, pounding its chest to let his master know that he was all right. Dusclops stood up shakily, and Marsha knew that her Dusclops was on the brink of fainting. She wondered if she should recall him so he wouldn't be damaged any further. No, she said firmly after thinking heavily. I will not give this trainer the idea that I am weak and that I will back out of a fight when things are looking bad. She glanced at the Darmanitan. The beast of a Pokémon barely had a scratch on it, and was still strong in its stance. Marsha glanced briefly at the opposing trainer. His face was emotionless, like a stone and his voice was cold. But deep in the sparkling emerald eyes she could see the pride for Darmanitans achievement and slight concern for his physical state.

"Darmanitan, finish this with Flame Charge!" Emerald commanded. He could see the struggle that Dusclops was having just trying to stand up so a fairly weak fire move would finish it. Darmanitan grunted in reply and began to stomp on the ground repeatedly. Out of nowhere, dust appeared and Darmanitan was lost from sight. Marsha took a deep breath. She only had one chance. It was going to be a low blow, but it was the only thing that she was able to do with Dusclops in his state. The dust disappeared, and Darmanitan was surrounded in a red orb of fire. It started to run so fast that streaking red flames were left in its wake.

"Destiny Bond." Marsha called, and Emerald took a step back when he heard her choice. Really, he thought to himself. Is that cheap move even legal these days? Dusclops's eyes started to glow a ghostly purple as Darmanitan smashed into it. Dusclops stumbled and fell onto its back defeated. However, the moment it hit the floor, a purple spiral emerged from its eye and touched Darmanitan on the face slightly before disappearing. Darmanitan began to feel dizzy and weak as he collapsed on the floor. Emerald recalled his Pokémon and sent a death glare towards Marsha for using the cheap move. Marsha felt guilty, but the guilt faded quickly. The move was there for a reason.

"Eelektross, finish this." Emerald called out. Eelektross, who had been eying the water enviously, waddled over. Electricity crackled from her body as she arched her back and roared a metallic roar. Marsha smirked. It was time to bring out her secret weapon.

"Rhyperior, show them your skill." Marsha said smirking, as a massive Rhyperior appeared from the pokéball. The massive Pokémon took even Ash aback. He had met many Rhyperior on Mount Silver yet none of them had been the size of the Rhyperior in front of him. In fact, he had never seen a Rhyperior close to that size.

"Eelektross, Thunderbolt." Emerald commanded, and Martha chuckled. Stupid trainer, she thought. Electric type moves wouldn't have any effects of Rhyperior due to his Ground type characteristics. "Aim to the left." Eelektross gazed questionably at his trainer, but did as she commanded. Marsha wondered what he was thinking of, Ash wondering the same from the sidelines. Lucario and Pikachu were now watching contently from the shade, and Venusaur, Meganium and Sceptile were itching to join in the battle, especially Sceptile. The sky also seemed to be growing darker, though neither Ash nor the two battlers noticed the storm clouds rolling in. The intentionally off course Thunderbolt was aimed to the left. However, the bolt was redirected to Rhyperiors horn where it dissipated. Marsha didn't see the point of Emeralds experiment but Ash smiled when it hit him. He's testing to see if the Rhyperior had the ability Lightning Rod.

"Enough games." Marsha said confidently. "Rhyperior, use Stone Edge!" Rhyperior let out an angry cry. Its body became outlined by a white energy, to which it let out a roar. The white energy was then released from Rhyperiors body to form two rings of white pointed energy orbs that became spinning around Rhyperior, as if in orbit. The white light faded, and the energy orbs started convulsing. When the convulsing finished, they had transformed into multiple gray rocks. Rhyperior flung its arms wide open and the rocks were sent rushing towards Eelektross.

"Eelektross, defend yourself with Discharge!" Emerald called out. Eelektross began to crackle with static electricity. Electricity begun to pulse through Eelektross, being generated at its mouth and flowing through its whole body. Eelektross let out a loud grunt and the energy was released, the massive discharge attack surrounding Eelektross. The rocks could barely pierce the lightning barrier, and the selective few that did manage to penetrate were fried to charcoal. Marsha gasped. She had never seen discharge used as a defensive move. The voltage in Eelektross began to go down and Marsha saw her opportunity.

"Rhyperior, Rock Wrecker!" Marsha called out. Rhyperior let out another cocky roar and brought its hands together. A single chunk of rock that was bathed in a red energy formed and began to grow. It grew till it was a considerable size, the red energy crackling like the discharge that was now fading. The red glow faded and Rhyperior let out a roar as he flexed his palms, throwing the huge chunk of rock towards Eelektross.

"Eelektross, stop it in its tracks with Charge Beam!" Emerald commanded, and the disappearing electricity form the discharge started to convert back to Eelektross's mouth. It let loose a glowing beam of energy that collided with the 'boulder.' Though the boulders speed was slowed, it pushed against the electric beam with ease and slammed into Eelektross. Eelektross tumbled backwards, and ended up on its back. Marsha grinned. It was time to end this.

"Rhyperior, Hammer Arm!" Marsha commanded, and Rhyperior got ready for the final blow. Rhyperior charged at Eelektross, nothing but destruction on its mind. Its left forearm began to grow white as it charged, ready to slam into Eelektross. Emerald smirked. That was a big mistake.

"Eelektross, Double Team." Emerald instructed and Eelektross flipped back onto its flippers. It then multiplied into 20 versions of itself, spinning rapidly and causing Rhyperiors attack to miss. It was then that Marsha realized her mistake. She had allowed a Pokémon whose physical attack was large to surround Rhyperior. "Now, Giga Impact!"

Marsha had to think frantically of a way to avoid the attack. If 20 Gig Impacts hit her Rhyperior wouldn't be able to take it. Granted, the mirrored Pokémon only had 1/10 of their original attack, but she still wasn't confidant that Rhyperior could take that many hits. Eelektross began to close the distance between Rhyperior, all the copies and the original being covered in spiraling orange streaks. Finally, a purple aura enveloped them all and they charged will full force.

"Rock Tomb on yourself." Marsha cried in desperation. Rhyperior looked at her trainer in surprise, not thinking it a good idea, but following the command any-way. Rhyperior lifted its arms up, to which a rock began to form, similar to the Rock Wrecker process. When the rock was completed, Rhyperior slammed it down onto itself without a second to lose. The Giga Impact slammed into the Rock Tomb, creating a think layer of dust. When the dust cleared, Rhyperior could be seen lying in a pile of rubble. Eelektross was standing by her trainer, looking at the Rhyperior. Unbelievably, Rhyperior grunted and got to its feet. It was critically damaged, but Marsha's idea about Rock Tomb had taken most of the impact. It grinned as it faced off against Eelektross.

"Rhyperior, Rock Polish." Marsha commanded. Rhyperior slammed its fists together, to which the orange plates around his body began to grow a vibrant red. If one hit can take us out, Marsha thought to herself, then we won't let it hit us. Rhyperior let out a roar, putting its arms in the air, assuming its battle stance. Emerald smiled wickedly.

"Eelektross, Zap Cannon." Emerald instructed, formulating a plan. Though Zap Cannon would have no effect, it might be able to lure Rhyperior into attacking physically. If Marsha thinks Rhyperior can avoid a close range attack with extra speed, she's wrong, Emerald thought. Coincidentally, that was exactly what Marsha was thinking. Eelektross arched back and let out a cry. It extended its right arm, which started to crackle with electric volts. From its palm, a pulsing yellow orb with a red centre formed.

"Eelek!" Eelektross cried as its flexed its palm, sending the orb of energy towards Rhyperior. It smashed into Rhyperior, causing and explosion on contact. Rhyperior just let out a roar. The attack hadn't done any damage, but the explosion had ticked Rhyperior off.

"Rhyperior, send it flying with Shadow Claw." Marsha said smirking. Rhyperiors extra speed would allow it to get a clear shot at Eelektross and its massive attack would be able to easily damage it. Eelektross wasn't that fastest of Pokémon, so she was confident that it wouldn't be able to dodge the Shadow Claw. Rhyperior extended its fist, to which its lower arm became surrounded by a purple aura with a black out line. The aura then extended to take the form of a massive shadowy claw. Rhyperior charged at Eelektross, who stood calm waiting his trainers instructions.

"Eelektross, Detect." Marsha began to see Emeralds plan unfold. Eelektross closed its eyes, and calmly swayed to the left. Rhyperiors attack missed to the right, and Marsha felt a shiver run down her spine. "Finish this with Brick Break." Emerald commanded to Eelektross. Eelektross opened its eyes, and jumped into the air. Its forearm glowed a dazzling white, and its fist connect with Rhyperiors head, centimeters above the horn. Rhyperior collapsed on the spot, to which Eelektross let out a triumphant cry. Marsha returned her Rhyperior to its pokéball looking slightly embarrassed. She had had a massive type advantage, yet all of Rhyperiors assets had gone to waste. Still, she wasn't a sore loser. She went over to shake Emeralds hand, to which Emerald complied. She was surprised at how strong and firm her opponents hand was. She had shaken the hand of Lance himself, and even the Dragon Master didn't shake this firmly. She realized that she was clutching his hand, and she released it sheepishly.

Ash chuckled at the scene. The Rhyperior had given Eelektross a run for its money, and that Pokémon didn't look like a pushover. Ash felt something cold and wet splash on his shoulder. He gazed upwards to see the grey storm clouds, as more droplets began to fall. Rumblings of thunder could be heard as the rain quickly came pouring down. Ash and Emerald returned their Pokemon, with the exception of Pikachu who jumped on Ashs shoulder, and walked over to their cabin, which happened to be relatively close to the area that they had battled on. Marsha, however, realized her cabin was down the other end of the ship. She decided it would be best if she stayed with the men for now, to keep warm and not catch a cold. Besides, she thought wickedly, being in a relatively small room with that man shouldn't be too bad.

Ash instantly sprawled out on the bed, not bothering to change his clothes. His pants were only slightly wet, and he didn't have to worry about his shirt for obvious reasons. Emerald didn't bother changing either, sprawling out on the floor next to the bed. He felt more comfortable on solid floor, instead of a cotton filled air bag. Marsha crawled next to him, and laid her head on his shoulder. Emerald just looked at with her curiosity, wondering why she was sitting so close to him. He felt slightly uncomfortable, but didn't really care. She probably wanted to stay warm.

"So Ash, you never told me how you ended up on Mount Silver." Emerald said blatantly. His words sliced Ash like a knife, and brought the memories flooding back. He pointed towards Marsha, and Emerald just shrugged. Hypno could take care of her memories later.

"It's a delicate topic." Ash said, expecting the conversation to end at that, but Emerald wasn't satisfied.

"I don't care." He replied, still expecting the full story. Ash sighed, realizing just how stubborn Emerald could be if he didn't get his way.

"You're an ass, you know that?" Ash said, his phrase more of a statement than a question. Emerald didn't realize the dry humor in Ashs tone, but didn't think he should reply. He waved his hand, motioning for Ash to continue. This had also sparked Marshas interest, but she wisely decided to say nothing. It would be better if she didn't draw any attention to herself.

'Stop stalling." Emerald said ending the procrastination that Ash was trying to build up.

"Fine." Ash said, starting his long story. " 5 years ago, I competed in the Lily of the Valley Conference for my second time. The first time I competed was when I was ten." Emerald nodded, listening keenly though his emotions and body language did not show it. "I came second, narrowly losing to a trainer called Leaf. I came home after the conference to see my friends and family awaiting my arrival, all ecstatic about my achievement." Ash smiled at the memory, remembering the way his friends had all run up to him and enveloped him in a bone-crushing hug. He was still sure that they had broken a few of his ribs that day. "We had the welcome home party, celebrating my achievements. I had my first kiss that day…" Ash said, his voice trailing off. He remembered how he had been outside with May. They had just been talking, and Gary decided to be a smart-ass. Gary had pushed Ash when he was parallel with May, and their lips had met. Ash remembered how he wanted to apologize, but instead he had deepened the kiss.

"Come out of La-La land Ketchum. You still haven't finished your story. You can masturbate to the image later." Emerald remarked, and Ash rolled his eyes. Pikachu began to spark; ready to send a bolt of lightning at the idiot who had insulted his master, but Ash put his hand out and signaled to Pikachu to stop. Pikachu stopped, wondering why his master didn't want retribution.

"That was the last night that I was happy, truly happy. The next day the Prophets showed up." Ash said coldly, and Emerald shuddered at the memory of the Prophets. Ash's story was starting to seem similar to his own dreadful experience. The mention of the Prophets made Marsha wonder and she finally decided to draw some attention to herself.

"But the Prophets bring happiness. They volunteer to help the poor, they help out with the cities and they warn us of incoming disasters. They have been doing so for the past 6 years…" Marsha said, her voice trailing off when she realized that they man called Ash had apparently been on Mount Silver for six years.

"Marsha, do you know what the Prophets are exactly?" Emerald asked, gazing at Marsha. His voice wasn't cold any more, it was laced with venom. Marsha almost recoiled at the way he spoke the words, but she was determined to find out what the two blasphemers meant.

"They ware a religious order who do nothing but good!" She half yelled, half spat at the man she formerly felt attracted to. She was a believer, they had saved her parents. They said that a rampaging Salamence would destroy most of their hometown in Golden-Rod. She had originally felt suspicious at the cult, scoffing at the their words but her parents believed. Her family had evacuated, only to watch the scene unfold before their eyes as their town was destroyed, and their friends murdered. They had believed…and they had lived. '

"Good?" Ash said, scoffing at her words. He had never heard such shit in his life. They were the polar opposite of good. "Let me tell you what they do. Lets see… the most likely thing is that they warn you that you town is going to be destroyed. They say that a massive Pokémon, a Tyranitar, a Dragonite…maybe a Salamence will destroy your town. No-body listens at first…but then it happens, am I right?" Marsha was taken aback, that the stranger had guessed what had happened with no clues being given whatsoever. "Once they gain your trust, they help you build up your town." Ash continued, clearly seeing that Marsha was beginning to see what was going on instead of being surrounded in a prison of lies that the Prophets so delicately constructed in the sub-conscious. "Only they add shrines… laws… and prophecies. They say that they need contributions to help the town, so you basically hand over all your money. However, what you don't realize is every single leisure centre, Pokécentre, even restaurant is now run run under their influence. They rake in the money…and they get to shape society in their image. Total power, and a cash bonus."

"Of course." Emerald said, taking the lead reigns of the conversation. " You don't see them releasing the Gigantic Pokémon from their pokéball, the one that supposedly destroyed the town. The Pokémon that they tortured for weeks on end, so much that is lost all its trust in humanity and decides to destroy it instead. You don't see them secretly draining the water when they tell you there is going to be a water shortage, and you don't see them salting crops so that they won't grow in that particular area when they tell you that the soil is becoming infertile. And, most importantly, you don't see them corrupting people so much that they would even turn on their best friends and family if instructed to do." Emeralds rage seemed to spark on the last sentence, quickly replaced by sadness. The emotion wasn't evident by his face or his body. The emotion was evident in his voice and eyes.

"That's what happened to me." Ash said blankly, his voice full of misery and mourning. "The prophecy saw me as a threat, I have no idea why. Probably due to my involvement in taking down Team Magma, Team Aqua, Team Galactic and Team Rocket, not to mention my achievements in Pokémon leagues." Both Marsha and Emerald realized he was going to continue his story, so they didn't intervene. " The next day, after my congratulations party, the Prophets showed up. They came with a warning: Ash Ketchum will bring death to your town. He must die, or else every-one in this town will perish. No-body believed them in the start. That night, I heard weird noises, painful wheezes and footsteps. I got out of bed to investigate. What I saw was the Prophets realizing 4 bloodthirsty Gyrados into the water. I instantly cried out for help, sounded the proverbial alarm if you will. But the Prophets had already disappeared from view. The Gyrados attacked. They destroyed most of Pallet, and we fought hard to get rid of them. There was only one causality in the end: My mom."

Ashs story was met with silence. Emerald contemplated and compared what had happened to Ash to what had happened to him. They definitely shared the same main plot, although the circumstances and occurrences were different. Marsha was the first one who found the voice to speak.

"I'm sorry." Marsha said, her voice barely a whisper. A single tear rolled down Ashs cheek, before he wiped it away.

"You shouldn't be, it's not your fault." Ash consoled her, before going back to his story. " I was a Surf attack…she drowned before I could save her. Even though the Prophets only said destruction would come, the Gyrados incident was pointed at me. They came again the next day…saying that Earthquakes' would destroy most of the already damage town. It happened again… I investigated again and found a row of 20 Golems, all ready to use Earthquake. No-body died…but they started to believe. My friend…Brock was the first one that openly stated that I needed to die if we all wanted to live, using my mom as a reference. Basically: I was blamed for my mothers death, though I had nothing at all do with it. That's the way the Prophets work…not by force, not physical manipulation like stealing some-one's Pokémon, but by getting inside you head and messing with your beliefs and ideas. That's what sets them apart from the other groups."

Marsha had never viewed the Prophets like that before, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that what Ash was saying was the truth. What he had just said and justified, was almost identical to what had happened at Golden-Rod 5 years ago.

" That was just the tip of the ice-berg though. The real motivation was the Apocalypse: They told every-one that every-one would die and that all the towns would be destroyed. That it wasn't my fault, but my aura was going dark, and that death was the only solution. Such a claim is Ludacris, is it not? But everything that the Prophets had said had happened…so people believed them. One by one I was abandoned. The only people left by my side was May, one of my close friends, Professor Oak, well renowned Pokémon Professor and my old rival Gary. Even then I could clearly see the doubt in their eyes. So I decided to end it. I packed up and left to the one place I knew that people wouldn't follow me: Mount Silver. There I trained, raising my Pokémon to top-notch condition, thinking of a way I could destroy the Prophets influence. Finally, I was given the chance." Ash said, looking towards Emerald who met his gaze. They both knew loss, and they could both relate to the pain. Ash nodded at Emerald, who understood straight away.

"Hypno." Emerald said, dropping a Pokéball from his belt onto the ground. Hypno emerged, instantly rushing towards Emerald and hugging her trainer affectionately. Emerald laughed, and pointed towards Marsha. Marsha suddenly felt on edge.

"What are you doing?" Marsha asked as Hypno approached her. Hypno begin to swing its Pendulum, which Marsha began to follow against her will. She began to go drowsy and finally fell asleep.

"Good Job Hypno. Now… use Dream Eater on her. I want you to erase any memory she has of us. How-ever, keep the information she knows about the Prophecy." Emerald commanded. Hypno let out a happy 'Hyp' sound when she was commented, and immediately began to do as her master instructed. Ash turned to Emerald.

"What is your story?" He asked, and Emerald gazed at him. He decided it was only fair that her told Ash after he had revealed what had happened to him. Emerald opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by the ships speaker.

"Attention Passengers." A feminine voice said over the intercom. "We have docked at Lily of the Valley Island. All passengers have one hour to leave the ship before re-boarding begins for returning trainers. Have a nice day, and good luck." The Intercom buzzed off with slight static at the end.

"That's a story for another day." Emerald said, and walked out the cabin door, returning Hypno who had finished the job. Ash sighed. Talk about bad timing. He looked briefly at Marsha who was starting to open her eyes. Well, the tournament begins here, Ash thought as he left the room.

**Enjoy this chapter, my longest yet, and do not forget to review! However, a word of warning. I will not tolerate abusive messages towards other reviewers. Towards me is fine. I have already had to remove one review due to foul language towards another reviewer and I kindly ask so that it does not happen again. And yes, Emerald is and OC.**


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